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Press Aide: Lawrence Cook, 860-240-8609

April 6, 2018

April 6, 2018

Sen. Bye Welcomes State Aid for ADA Upgrades at University of St. Joseph

WEST HARTFORD—Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford) announced today that the State Bond Commission is expected to approve a $400,000 state grant to the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford to assist the college in making needed handicapped accessibility improvements on campus.

The State Bond Commission is scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 13, 2018 in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford to vote on this and other state bonding requests.

“The University of St. Joseph is nearly 100 years old, and not only is it used daily by 2,500 students, it’s also home to the Gengras Center School and the School for Young Children, and it is used by hundreds of members of the general public on a regular basis. These upgrades are needed to ensure safe and fair access to St. Joe’s facilities for a wide variety of students and the public,” Sen. Bye said. “I’m glad Connecticut legislature is partnering with this private institution, like it does with so many other private organizations all across the state, to improve the quality of life for our residents.”

On March 20, Sen. Bye wrote Governor Dannel P. Malloy, who is chairman of the State Bond Commission, asking him to consider releasing some state Department of Economic and Community Development Urban Act monies for the project.

Sen. Bye noted that the University commissioned an ADA Compliance and Evaluation Survey in 2008, and since then has completed several new building projects, but that more work needs to be done on campus to address accessibility issues for campus infrastructure that was built place prior to the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Sen. Bye said University of St. Joseph projects that have been identified as needing ADA upgrades include:

A wheelchair ramp and renovated entrance to Mercy Hall, which includes one of the University’s largest conference rooms, a popular location for community activities;

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